


Home is the People You Love

by evil_giraffe



Series: The Long Road Home [3]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: 10x22, Fix-It, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Season/Series Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:47:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23685640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evil_giraffe/pseuds/evil_giraffe
Summary: Sequel to Walking the Road. Steve returns to Hawaii after three and a half months away.
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Series: The Long Road Home [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1698235
Comments: 106
Kudos: 226





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This follows on from the previous stories in the series, Finding Peace and Walking the Road. It probably won't make much sense without reading those first.

As Steve settles into his seat on the plane that will finally carry him home to Hawaii, he’s exhausted and struggling to keep his eyes open. He hadn’t been able to get to sleep following his life-altering conversation with Danny the night before so instead he’d stayed awake reading a certain book he hadn’t dared to look at any earlier. Just thinking about it now is enough to cause a flush to spread throughout his entire body. Steve has never felt so relieved about not being selected for a bag search.

Thankfully he’s distracted from such thoughts when a woman who looks to be around his own age sits down beside him.

“Hi,” she says, making no attempt to conceal her appreciative gaze, “I’m Caroline.”

“Steve,” he replies, hoping that his tone will convey his disinterest in her and any further conversation.

Unfortunately Caroline carries on obliviously, “What takes you to Hawaii?”

“I’m heading home,” he starts, then, mostly in the hopes of shutting her up but partly just to see how it feels, he adds, “to my boyfriend.”

Urgh, no, that sounds weird. Maybe he’ll just stick with partner…

“Oh,” Caroline says, clearly disappointed but not shocked or disgusted. She gives him a smile. “Well, enjoy your reunion.”

“Thanks.” Steve returns her smile but then turns his face to look out the window. He doesn’t have the energy to care if he appears rude.

As soon as the plane is airborne, Steve tries to get as comfortable as possible so he can get some sleep.

He jolts awake an indeterminate amount of time later, breathing hard and trying to banish the lingering images of Danny dying in his arms in the back seat of his truck.

Beside him, Caroline has set her tablet aside and is regarding him with open concern.

“Are you okay?” she enquires quietly.

Thanks to his extensive experience in dealing with nightmares, Steve has already forced his breathing back under some semblance of control.

“Yeah,” he manages to respond while scrubbing a hand over his face. “Just a bad dream.”

Caroline looks a little skeptical as she asks, “Can I get you anything? Water maybe?”

“No, I’m good.” Steve is beginning to feel a little bad about not being nicer to her earlier. “But thank you,” he says with genuine sincerity.

“Sure,” Caroline says, returning her attention to her tablet and therefore giving Steve as much privacy as one can have on a crowded plane.

Steve checks his watch and calculates approximately another 90 minutes of flight time. He doesn’t feel like making any further attempts at sleep. It’s been a while since he’s had a nightmare that bad, but of course now that’s he’s finally about to get what he wants more than anything, his brain decides to torture him with a painful reminder of how perilously close he came to never getting the chance to tell Danny the truth.

What he needs is a distraction, so he starts scrolling through the photos on his phone; a luxury he did not often allow himself to indulge in during his time in LA. He pauses for quite a while on a recent shot of Grace and Charlie. Steve has missed them terribly and is looking forward to spending as much time as he possibly can with them. Rachel has graciously agreed for Charlie to spend the entire next two weeks with Danny and Steve. Grace will be sleeping at Rachel’s, as her room at Danny’s has been cleared out for Steve, but as she can come and go as she pleases it’s likely they’ll still be seeing a lot of her. Steve wonders whether he’ll be sleeping in Grace’s room after all. There are a lot of things he and Danny have not yet discussed after last night’s revelations.

Hopefully they’ll get a chance to clear the air a bit after Danny picks him up at the airport. Steve had originally intended to confess his feelings in person so he had asked Danny to come alone, using the excuse that he didn’t want to make a big deal out of his return. He hadn’t wanted to completely neglect or disappoint his ohana though, so there’s a welcome back party taking place at Kamekona’s tomorrow.

The remaining time until his reunion with Danny, when Steve will get to replace the immensely distressing images from his nightmare with the reality of his partner healthy and safe in Steve’s arms, cannot pass quickly enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I have surprised myself by completing a chapter much sooner than expected... I certainly did not write it while I was supposed to be working from home ;)

As soon as he’s back on Hawaiian soil, Steve hurries through the airport, urgently scanning the sea of faces until, finally, there he is, Danny Williams in all his glory, looking a whole lot better than the last time Steve saw him; no visible signs of his latest injuries remain and he looks happier, more relaxed.

When Danny spots Steve he returns his wide grin but stays put and waits for Steve to come to him. Steve picks up his pace even further and as a result the eventual collision of their bodies has considerable force behind it. They sway alarmingly for a moment before finding their equilibrium and embracing each other tightly.

The hug lasts a lot longer than any they’ve shared before but Steve is just fine with that; they have so much time to make up for. Danny is the one who eventually pulls back, but only far enough so they can actually look at each other for a long moment.

“Hi,” Steve says a little giddily.

Danny continues to examine him silently for a few seconds before smirking and murmuring, “Aloha.”

Steve is sure he’s grinning foolishly at this point but he couldn’t care less. He’s never loved Danny more and he’s suddenly struck with an overwhelming desire to kiss him, but he realizes a crowded airport is probably not the best venue for such a monumental milestone, so he contents himself with pressing his lips to Danny’s forehead.

Danny lets out a small huff of amusement or annoyance, possibly both, and pulls away from Steve’s hold. “Come on, you goof,” he says. “Let’s get out of here.”

As they turn to do just that, Steve spots Caroline watching them from across the room. She gives him a bright smile and a cheery wave, both of which he happily returns.

A short time later, Steve and Danny arrive at the short-term parking lot and Danny leads the way to the Camaro. He unlocks the car as they approach but then offers the keys to Steve.

“No,” he declines with a smile. “You can drive.”

Danny’s eyebrows shoot up but he heads for the driver’s side without comment. However, once Steve has thrown his bag in the back and they’re both seated, Danny gives Steve a long, considering look.

“Are you okay?” he asks. “You’re not hiding some terrible condition that prevents you from driving?”

“No,” Steve says seriously, “nothing like that, I promise.”

“Good.” Danny’s relief is palpable as he starts the car and gets their journey home under way.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Steve decides to explain himself.

“So,” he begins, “I’m sure you already know this, but I’ve never really suffered from carsickness.”

“Yes, I _did_ know that, what with you being a Navy SEAL and all, but thank you for finally admitting it.”

Steve continues his explanation. “What I had was control issues so severe that I sometimes made myself sick from anxiety when I wasn’t driving. But that was never actually a problem with you because of how much I trust you.” Steve pauses and smirks a little. “I just like to drive. So don’t get too used to it.”

“Wow,” Danny remarks. “Look at you, being all open and honest without prompting. I think I owe your therapist a nice gift basket.”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m not suddenly going to be spilling my feelings out all over everybody, but I don’t want to hold anything back with you.”

“Damn it, Steve,” Danny says while keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “You keep this up, and I might have to take back everything I ever said about you not being romantic.”

“Hey,” Steve objects reflexively. “I am _extremely_ romantic.”

Danny snorts. “I’m not sure I’d go _that_ far. But I look forward to your attempts to prove me wrong.”

Danny glances over and they grin stupidly at each other for a moment. That’s probably going to be happening a lot.

A few minutes later, Danny pulls over into a scenic overlook. It’s not the one that’s his favorite but it’s a nice view.

“Come on, out,” Danny demands. “We need to talk and we might as well get some fresh air while we do.”

Steve is already unbuckling his safety belt but he can’t help but ask, “We can’t talk at home?”

“No,” Danny says firmly. “When we get home there’ll be two kids and a dog demanding your attention, so we need to do this now.”

Steve nods and they get out of the car to sit on the stone wall overlooking the ocean, as close as they could be to each other without actually touching. They’re quiet for a couple of minutes while Danny seems to be collecting his thoughts.

“Steve,” he begins eventually, “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone, and there’s nothing I want more than to be with you, but we cannot afford to screw this up. We’ve both been through a lot, and while your progress these past few months has been incredible, I know you’re still working through some stuff. Not to mention the fact that neither of us has been in a relationship with another man before.”

Steve glances at Danny quizzically at this and he responds with a dismissive hand gesture.

“My college flings definitely do not count. All things considered, I think we need to take it slow.”

Steve thinks this over. “Yeah, okay,” he agrees. “But how slow are we talking?”

Danny laughs a little. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to see how it goes. But you are definitely sleeping in Grace’s room for at least the next two weeks, buddy. I don’t think we should tell the kids about us yet.”

Steve is not happy about that at all. “You think this isn’t going to work?”

Danny sighs. “I think I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure it does work. But my kids already love you and the weight of their expectations and hopes would be a lot of pressure to put on a new relationship.”

Steve can see the logic in that.

“Okay, fine,” he says. “But what about our friends and the rest of your family?”

Danny sighs again. “Same deal, babe. They’re going to be very invested in this relationship as soon as they find out and I think we could really use some time to adjust to the idea ourselves first.”

“Okay,” Steve repeats. “I already told Mary, but I did ask her to keep it to herself until you and I had talked.”

“That’s fine. And, look, I’m not asking you to lie to anyone. If asked directly we’ll tell them the truth, but for now I’d like to try to delay the inevitable teasing. This is too important to joke about so soon.”

“Yeah,” Steve agrees easily, because it’s difficult to argue with that. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They’ve said these words to each other many times, but this is the first time they’ve done so face to face since admitting that they mean it romantically and Steve feels the difference keenly. It looks as if the feeling is mutual if Danny’s radiant smile is anything to go by.

Steve simply cannot wait any longer so he leans forward and Danny responds by tilting his head to accept the kiss. It’s slow and gentle, more tender than Steve had ever imagined they would be capable of being with each other. He feels tears prickling behind his closed eyelids; this moment is so perfect, and he’s wanted it for so long, that the experience is completely overwhelming.

Eventually they break apart but they don’t go far, resting their foreheads together and touching each other’s faces reverently. They might have stayed that way indefinitely if not for the sudden buzz of Danny’s phone.

Steve reluctantly releases his partner so he can check who is so rudely interrupting them.

“It’s Grace,” Danny announces, with the usual adoring smile that accompanies speaking about his children. “We should probably go before she sends out a search party.”

Seeing the kids and Eddie sounds amazing, but, on the other hand… “One more for the road?” Steve asks hopefully.

Danny lets out a delighted laugh, but he’s already standing to leave. He does however lean down to give Steve a quick kiss, but sadly it’s a blink and you’d miss it affair. Steve retaliates by jumping up quickly and racing past Danny to the driver’s seat of the Camaro.

Danny just gives him a look of fond amusement as he climbs into the passenger seat, before saying with a smile, “Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, regarding Danny's car.... like many people I was a bit confused by Catherine's reference to this in the finale, so I'm operating on the assumption that the beloved black Camaro was only seriously wounded rather than dead and was subsequently repaired.
> 
> Up next: two kids and a dog!


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Steve parks in Danny’s driveway and gets out of the car, he can hear frantic barking and whining start up inside the house. The front door opens after a few seconds and Eddie emerges at full speed. Steve immediately drops to his knees to greet his clearly overjoyed dog.

Moments later there’s an excited shout of “Uncle Steve!” and Steve shifts to accommodate Charlie in a one-armed hug while still holding Eddie close with his other hand.

Finally, Grace arrives. She gives Steve a sunny smile before kneeling and embracing him from behind. They stay this way for quite some time, simply enjoying the closeness, and it feels fantastic, but where is Danny?

Steve quickly locates his partner standing several feet away, smiling softly as he takes photographs of the happy reunion.

“Hey Danno,” Steve says roughly, “get over here.”

Danny lowers his phone so he can meet Steve’s eyes but then he shakes his head.

“Nope. Not unless you want to carry me everywhere when my knee gives out.”

Steve grins. “I could do that.”

This earns him giggles from the kids and an eye roll from Danny.

“Get off the ground and into the house, you animals,” Danny says before turning and heading inside, taking Steve’s luggage with him.

Charlie squeezes Steve tighter for a brief moment before obediently pulling away and following his father. Eddie reluctantly goes too when Steve indicates that he should. Grace gets to her feet and waits for Steve to do the same, but then she reaches out for a proper hug. Steve is happy to oblige.

When they separate, Grace eyes Steve critically for a long moment. She’s so grown up and it’s crazy to think that she was Charlie’s age when Steve first met her.

“You look good, Uncle Steve,” she decides. “A lot less stressed.”

“Yeah, Gracie,” he agrees, and she wrinkles her nose a bit at the childish nickname but doesn’t actually object. “I feel a whole lot better.”

“I’m glad. I was mad at first when I heard that you’d left while Danno was still hurt, but he talked me down, explained that it was for the best. It’s good to see that he was right.”

“Thanks Gracie,” he says shakily, allowing her to see how deeply this has affected him. “I wish I could have been there for your dad, but…”

“It’s fine, I get it. I’m really happy you’re home now Uncle Steve. I love you.”

“I love you too, so much, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Grace smiles brightly as Steve slings an arm around her shoulders and presses a kiss to her head. Then they hurry to get inside before Danny decides to come looking for them.

Several hours pass by as they all catch each other up on some of the things they didn’t get time to discuss over the phone, and Charlie excitedly talks at length about all the fun activities he wants to do over the next two weeks. Eddie rarely leaves Steve’s side; when he does it’s to play on the floor with Charlie whenever the boy gets bored with the conversation at hand. As this starts to happen more frequently, they all agree to play a few board games.

The resulting happy laughter and inevitable minor squabbles make for an enjoyable afternoon. Steve finds himself watching Danny a lot. The fact that his partner is such a caring and devoted father was one of the first things Steve loved about him and that certainly hasn’t changed. Watching him interacting with the kids is always wonderful. Any time Danny meets Steve’s eyes it warms something deep inside him and Steve’s face is starting to ache from how much he’s been smiling.

Eventually Danny calls a halt to the board game marathon as he needs to start preparing dinner. Steve initially offers to help but when Grace says she’s going to take Eddie for a run, he’s conflicted until Danny laughingly waves him away. Charlie announces that he’s going to help Danno with dinner and Danny thanks his son but silently communicates to Steve and Grace that this will undoubtedly delay proceedings so there’s no need to hurry back.

After a quick change of clothes, Steve and Grace are soon heading out the door with Eddie.

“Run hard, then walk back?” Grace suggests.

Steve nods and then follows when Grace sets off at a brisk pace, Eddie trotting along contentedly beside them. They run for a couple of miles before Grace first slows to a jog before dropping down to a walk.

The reason for her tactics becomes obvious when she asks far too casually, “So, am I imagining things, or has something changed between you and my dad?”

Steve’s heart rate is suddenly higher than it was while they were running. “What do you mean?” he asks cautiously.

Grace narrows her eyes at him. “I think you know exactly what I mean.”

Steve doesn’t respond but somehow his face must give him away because Grace’s eyes widen.

“Oh my god, seriously?” her voice is starting to edge towards excitement. “Did you guys finally admit that you’re in love with each other?”

Holy crap, this is embarrassing and slightly terrifying. But Danny did say they wouldn’t lie, so… “Yes.”

“Oh my god,” Grace repeats, grinning widely now. “When?”

“Last night,” he admits.

“Over the phone? Really, Uncle Steve?” Grace asks, but she sounds more amused than genuinely disapproving. “I thought maybe it was on the way back from the airport. But I’m so happy for you guys! Why didn’t you say anything?”

Steve pauses for a few deep, calming breaths before he feels ready to respond.

“Danno was worried about you and Charlie getting your hopes up too soon.”

Grace frowns thoughtfully. “I guess I can understand that with Charlie, but I’m not a little kid any more.”

“I know. If it makes you feel any better, it’s not just you and Charlie… Danno doesn’t want to tell anyone yet. He’s thinks it would put too much pressure on us.”

Grace nods. “I guess that makes sense. But, Uncle Steve, most of your friends are cops, so unless you can find a way to tone down the heart-eyes at the party tomorrow, they’re going to notice just as quickly as I did.”

“Heart-eyes? Really?” Steve asks incredulously.

“Yes,” Grace confirms with a laugh. “You’ve always gravitated towards each other, focused most of your attention on each other no matter who else was around, but now… you can’t stop looking at each other, and your expressions while you’re doing it… just, trust me, it’s very different.”

“Okay. You should talk to your dad later; I think it would be better if he hears this directly from you.”

Grace nods and by unspoken agreement they pick up their pace to get back home.

Much later, after the best home cooked meal Steve has had in months, followed by a Charlie-friendly movie night (during which Steve and Danny sit at opposite ends of the couch with the kids in the middle), Steve offers to put Charlie to bed. Eddie comes along too because apparently he sleeps in Charlie’s room, leaving Grace and Danny alone in the living room.

When Steve returns, they’re hugging near the front door. As soon as Danny steps back, Steve moves in to also hug Grace before she leaves for the night, parting with an assurance that she loves them both and will see them tomorrow.

After closing the door behind his daughter, Danny rests his head against it for a moment and lets out a deep sigh.

“Danny,” Steve begins, but he isn’t sure what to say next.

“Not now Steven,” Danny says, but there’s no heat behind it. He turns around and takes Steve’s hand, leading him back to the couch. “I need to think things through for a minute, but... hold me while I do?”

Steve doesn’t trust himself to speak so he just nods and sits down, gladly wrapping his arms around Danny as he cuddles up against Steve. It’s strange how this simple action feels so familiar and yet entirely new.

Eventually Danny shifts just enough so they can make eye contact. “I guess it was a little naive to think we could keep this a secret,” he says. “I still stand by my reasoning, but when Grace suggested we would need to tone things down tomorrow… I don’t want to do that, Steve. Even though I didn’t even realize I was broadcasting it so loudly, I don’t want to try to hide my love for you.”

“Me neither,” Steve whispers, slightly overwhelmed by the profound relief and joy he’s experiencing. He closes the already tiny gap between them, kissing Danny just as sweetly as the first time. However, as the duration of the kiss increases, Steve instinctively tries to intensify it. Danny immediately backs off and pokes Steve in the side.

“That does not mean I want my son to catch us making out,” he admonishes, but he’s still smiling, even as he shifts to tuck his head under Steve’s chin in a way that makes further kissing impossible.

“Point taken,” Steve says. “So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“I still don’t want to make a grand announcement or anything like that. I think we should just be ourselves and see how long it takes for someone to call us out on it. Maybe they’ll be kind enough not to mention it if we don’t?”

Steve laughs. “Keep dreaming, buddy. Have you met our friends?"

Even as he says this, Steve is wondering whether he could successfully stare down anyone who looks like they’re about to say something. If it would make Danny more comfortable for their relationship to be an open secret, it might be worth a try.

Oblivious to Steve’s train of thought, Danny is chuckling softly. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he says. “But I’m not going to worry about it. If it happens, it happens. I think we should also take the same approach with Charlie and not tell him, just let him come to his own conclusions in his own time.”

“Okay,” Steve agrees easily.

They fall silent for a long time after that, just enjoying the physical contact after over three months without any at all. But eventually Steve feels Danny yawning against him.

“Come on, time for bed, Danno.”

“No,” Danny protests, sounding an awful lot like Charlie.

“Move, or I really am going to carry you,” Steve threatens.

“Not really a disincentive, babe,” Danny murmurs, but nevertheless he starts moving to get up. He’s adorably sleepy and Steve has to guide him in the direction of his bedroom. Steve is lucky enough to get a good night kiss on the threshold before they part and Steve heads for Grace’s room. He’d prefer if they weren’t sleeping separately, but he also understands Danny’s concerns about moving too fast.

Steve already has so much more than he would have dared to dream of just a matter of months ago, so he can be patient for now.


	4. Chapter 4

Grace shows up early the next morning and she and Steve take Eddie out again while Charlie occupies himself with cartoons and Danny sleeps in. They mostly concentrate on their running and don’t talk much, but it’s really nice, just spending this time together.

When they get home, Danny is in the kitchen making pancakes and soon enough they’re all gathered around the table for breakfast. Steve had of course enjoyed family breakfasts while he was with Mary and Joanie, but those had never felt quite like this. Looking back, it’s a bit shocking that he managed to spend so many years denying, even to himself, the depth of his connection to Danny and his children. He feels a fresh wave of determination to ensure that someday soon his position in this family will no longer be in question.

Danny catches Steve’s eye across the table and gives him a soft smile, probably sensing the general direction of his thoughts.

The next few hours pass in a bit of a blur, a mostly lazy Sunday morning followed by the ridiculous chaos of trying to get four people and a dog bathed and presentable enough for friendly company. Once they’re finally ready, they set off for Kamekona’s.

It appears they’re fashionably late, as everyone else is already there when they arrive - the entire Five-0 team, plus Duke and his wife, Noelani, Eric, Mamo, Renee, Will, Samantha, Siobhan, Koa, and of course Kamekona, Flippa and Nahele. It takes quite some time for Steve to greet them all, but he’s more than happy to return every joyful hug. It is however slightly humbling to notice the looks of intense relief that briefly pass over many of his close friends’ faces when they see for themselves that he’s no longer the same broken man who fled the island a few months earlier.

Several tables have been pushed together so they can enjoy their vast lunch as a group. Steve takes a seat near the center so that he’s not too far from anyone. Danny sits beside him, pressed right up against Steve in a way that might not be strictly necessary but also isn’t particularly unusual. Grace has taken charge of Charlie and they’re sitting right at one of the ends, surrounded by all the other younger family members, probably to ensure they don’t monopolize Steve’s attention too much. Eddie has squeezed himself under the bench to lie on Steve and Danny’s feet. It’s a bit much in the Hawaiian heat but neither of them has the heart to move him.

While they eat they all get a chance to catch up, although the members of Five-0 carefully avoid too much discussion of work, which Steve appreciates. They’re all aware that Steve has informed the governor he needs another two or three months of downtime before he makes any decisions on that front. With Danny sitting so close to him, and Steve’s attention constantly moving from person to person, he doesn’t actually have much cause to look at his partner, with or without ‘heart-eyes’, so they seem to be flying under the radar for now. 

Later, when the food is gone, the gathering naturally breaks up into smaller groups, some still seated around smaller tables and others moving to the beach. Steve roams from group to group, trying to ensure he doesn’t neglect anyone. Eddie follows Steve everywhere but Danny is no longer a constant presence at his side, instead making his own way around to visit anyone he hasn’t seen much recently and regularly checking in with Grace and Charlie.

Now that they’re often much further apart, Steve does find his gaze frequently wandering to wherever Danny is, and as time goes by, he begins to notice several members of the team giving them speculative looks. Things come to a head when Tani, who up until this point has been mostly preoccupied with Junior, suddenly catches on; Steve happens to glance her way after a long moment of staring into his partner’s eyes from afar, just in time to see her face light up like a kid at Christmas. Steve catches her eye and gives her a quelling look and a subtle shake of his head. Watching her expression dim and turn to confusion makes Steve feel terrible.

About fifteen minutes later, Lou manages to corner Steve away from anyone else, except of course for Eddie, who lets out a small whine when he senses Steve’s apprehension about the impending conversation.

“So,” Lou begins quietly, reaching down to pet Eddie before returning his full attention to Steve. “Is there anything you want to tell me?”

“Not really, no,” Steve replies, although he has little hope of this being a successful tactic.

Lou just stares at him placidly, unimpressed and unmoving.

Steve sighs. “Danny and I… just need some time to get our own heads around what’s going on between us before we’re ready to hear anyone else’s thoughts or opinions on the matter.”

“Okay,” Lou says calmly, but Steve can tell he’s fighting to hold back a smile. He claps Steve on the shoulder. “Whatever you need, brother, you know that. I’ll get the rest of the rabble to fall in line. But don’t take too long, huh? There’s only so much I can do.”

“Yeah,” Steve acknowledges with a sigh of relief. “Thanks, man.”

Lou’s grip on Steve’s shoulder tightens for a moment but then he walks away without further comment and heads straight for Tani and Junior. Quinn, Adam and Noelani all move to join them as well. Steve switches his attention to Eddie so he doesn’t have to watch their reactions to Lou’s report.

Shortly afterwards, Danny arrives beside Steve, taking a deep breath before he speaks. “I’m guessing everybody knows?”

“Most of them.” Steve observes that the impromptu meeting has broken up and the members are now spreading back out to return to their other friends and family members. “Probably the rest pretty soon. But don’t worry, they’re going to give us some space.”

“Really?” Danny moves around to hug Steve. “Good job, babe.”

Steve tightens his hold, determined to prolong the hug as long as his partner will let him. It’s nothing they haven’t done a hundred times before, but he notices several of their friends now looking at them like they’re a basket of puppies. The thought occurs to Steve that maybe they always have whenever he and Danny have been affectionate with each other and he just never noticed. 

He lets out a startled laugh before telling Danny, “Our friends are the best.”

Danny doesn’t disagree and a few minutes later they head back to rejoin the party.


	5. Chapter 5

The two weeks following the welcome home party are the happiest of Steve’s life. He’s never had the privilege of so much continuous time with Danny, Grace and Charlie before. Every day begins with a run with Grace and Eddie, followed by breakfast with the entire family. Then they move on to whatever activity Charlie has chosen for the day; sometimes this means a quiet day at home with games or movies but usually it’s a day out at the beach or park and once it’s the zoo.

Unsurprisingly, days at the beach are Steve’s favorite. He’s always loved the ocean but as much as he enjoys swimming, playing in the water with Charlie and Eddie (and occasionally Grace and Danny as well) is even better. Steve is also a huge fan of the way Danny’s gaze lingers on Steve’s body while he’s only wearing board shorts, plus of course the opportunity to ogle his partner in return. The exaggerated expression of disgust that Grace makes any time she notices is also highly entertaining.

In the evenings, after Charlie has gone to bed, Grace sometimes stays for an hour or two so she can enjoy Danny and Steve’s undivided attention, but most of the time she leaves fairly quickly in order to give them some time alone.

They spend the majority of such time cuddling on the couch while talking about the things they’ve never been able to share before. Sometimes it’s very positive, like the night they spend confessing all the things they love about each other, but other times they have difficult but necessary conversations about some of the more traumatic experiences of their lives; those moments where one or both of them had almost died without ever getting the chance to truly express their love for each other.

One night Danny informs Steve that he is the reason that Rachel decided to call off their reconciliation. Danny is embarrassed and apologetic as he explains that he had reached a point where he had given up hope of Steve ever being willing to accept and act on his feelings, and so when Rachel had shown renewed interest in Danny he had decided that being with her might be his only other chance at some level of happiness. But in the end Rachel had been able to tell where Danny’s heart truly lay and she hadn’t been interested in being second best. Danny goes on to explain that his hope for a possible future with Steve had only returned due to Steve’s behavior during and after Danny’s abduction by Daiyu Mei, and even then that hope had been tempered by the fact that Steve was clearly on the verge of a breakdown.

This conversation ends as many of them do when Steve is unable to come up with an appropriate verbal response; with an achingly tender kiss that expresses his feelings far more eloquently than mere words ever could. Danny seems content to let Steve get away with this as long as he keeps it chaste.

Steve has actually developed a new appreciation for innocent forms of physical intimacy such as cuddling, holding hands, and brief affectionate kisses, not to mention the unique honor of being allowed to touch Danny’s hair. Danny is particularly fond of snuggling close with his hand or his ear pressed directly over Steve’s heart. There’s something strangely satisfying and beautiful about all of it and he’s glad that they didn’t just hop straight into bed on his first day home.

Which is not to say that their now traditional good night kisses on the threshold of one of their bedrooms don’t sometimes become a little heated. Steve feels a sense of smug satisfaction on the rare occasions where Danny is the one who gets a bit carried away. The continued presence of Charlie in the house is however enough to ensure that they always back off relatively quickly.

Eventually the day comes when it’s time for Charlie to go back to Rachel. It signals the end of Steve’s happy new routine, as Danny will also be back at work the next day. Grace says she intends to drop by occasionally but there are other people she wants to spend time with before returning to college.

Although it’s sad to see the kids go, there is of course a silver lining; as soon as Danny closes the front door after waving goodbye as Grace drives off, Steve crowds him up against it and initiates a kiss that is desperate and demanding from the start. When Danny responds with equal fervor rather than pushing Steve away, it’s a thrill akin to jumping out of a plane.

Before long, Danny does start pushing at Steve, but it’s just to get him moving across the room; they successfully maintain their urgent kissing all the way to Danny’s bedroom. However, the simple act of stepping over the threshold at last seems to drain a lot of that urgency away and Steve finds himself breaking off the kiss and just staring at his partner for a long moment, cradling his face gently. Danny seems confused at first as he tries to focus his dilated eyes on Steve, but then he must pick up on the absolute awe Steve is feeling, because he gives him the softest of smiles before drawing him back down into a much slower kiss that is somehow both incredibly sweet and scorching hot.

Much later, after an unhurried removal of their clothing followed by a leisurely but thorough exploration of each other’s naked bodies, they end up lying side by side, staring at the ceiling and gasping for breath.

“Wow,” Steve says hoarsely, which is a wholly inadequate summary but all he can manage with what little brainpower he currently has at his disposal.

Danny would probably deny it, but the sound he makes in response is definitely a giggle. A few moments later, he rolls towards Steve, draping one arm across him and settling in to use Steve’s chest as a pillow. Steve repositions his own arms to form a loose embrace.

“I love you,” Danny murmurs, promptly falling asleep before Steve even gets the chance to respond. It doesn’t matter; Steve is confident his partner knows just how much he’s loved in return. But he tells him anyway, just in case.


	6. Chapter 6

Danny returns to work and Steve suddenly has a lot of time on his hands. Danny’s original plan of semi-retirement had evolved during Steve’s time in LA; the senior officers at HPD had reached out and asked if Danny would be willing to review some cold cases and so, with the governor’s blessing, he had set himself up in Jerry’s old office in the basement where he now spends the majority of his time searching the files HPD sends over for anything that might have been missed. If he finds anything worth following up on, he usually passes it back to HPD but occasionally follows it up himself alongside another member of Five-0 if they’re not too busy.

It’s a favorable arrangement; Danny is working full time but it’s a less demanding role that allows him to keep more regular hours while also still being able to help out Five-0 as needed or if he just needs a break from the basement. Steve has been seriously considering requesting something similar, but he’s not convinced that he would be capable of remaining involved with the team in any capacity without being in charge and constantly going out into the field. It’s a matter he needs more time to think through, possibly with the help of his new therapist, who he’s going to be seeing twice a month.

Steve passes a lot of his time looking at houses for sale online, while absently petting Eddie who is usually curled up beside him on the couch. It’s not that he doesn’t like Danny’s place, but he’d prefer to be closer to the ocean and to move forward together in a new place they can both put their stamp on. It causes an argument the first time Danny comes home and sees what he’s doing; apparently buying a house together does not qualify as taking things slowly. Steve doesn’t really see the difference when they’re already living together but Danny is unimpressed by this logic.

Steve thinks, but wisely does not say, that Danny is being a bit hypocritical, as one aspect of their lives where going slowly has already gone out the window is their physical relationship. Within days, they’ve already done things that Steve had imagined might take weeks to work their way up to. It turns out that the love and trust they have for each other goes a long way towards making any inhibitions seem suddenly unimportant, although Steve’s willingness to give up control in the bedroom has been a surprise to them both. Overall it’s been an intense but amazing experience and Steve has no regrets.

By the time Charlie comes back to them after a week with Rachel, the idea of returning to separate beds is intolerable, so they agree that it’s time to tell him the truth.

This turns out to be unbelievably easy, because as soon as they sit him down and say there’s something important they need to tell him, Charlie takes one look at them and asks, “Are you boyfriends now?”

“Yes,” Danny confirms while Steve is still trying to process the question.

The expression of uncomplicated joy that appears on Charlie’s face is quite literally breathtaking. Steve now fully understands why Danny wanted to try to protect them from this for a little while.

Unfortunately for Steve’s sanity, Charlie continues excitedly, “Are you getting married?”

Steve already feels completely stunned, so when Danny responds with a simple, “Not yet,” his vision actually starts to gray out for a worrying moment before Danny brings him back by taking his hand and giving him a loving smile full of sympathy and concern.

Luckily, Charlie doesn’t seem to notice that he nearly broke Steve’s brain. He just accepts Danny’s answer like it’s no big deal and moves on to another topic of conversation. Steve tries to follow suit and push the issue aside for now so he can continue to function.

A short time later, while Charlie is occupied playing outside with Eddie, Danny calls his mother to also break the news to her. The phone is not on speaker, but Steve can still hear the loud enthusiasm of Clara’s reaction if not her actual words.

After a few minutes, Danny holds the phone out to Steve, informing him with an amused smile, “She wants to talk to you.”

Once Steve takes the phone, Danny goes outside to join Charlie and Eddie.

“Hi Clara,” Steve says as calmly as possible while anticipating some form of the shovel talk.

“Hello Steven,” she greets him warmly. “I hope my boy has made you as happy as you’ve obviously made him.”

This is unexpected but Steve can roll with it. “Yes, thank you, I’m very happy.”

“That's wonderful to hear. I always hoped you two would end up together. But I need you to promise me something.”

“I’m listening,” he says carefully, unwilling to commit to anything without hearing it first.

“You know how Danny can get. If he ever tries to push you away, promise me you won’t give up on him.”

“I promise,” Steve replies without hesitation. “I’m never going to leave Danny voluntarily.”

“Thank you Steve. You have no idea what that means to me. Welcome to the family.”

This conversation is starting to feel a little overwhelming, but he manages to reply, “Thanks Clara.”

“You can call me mom if you like.”

Steve’s heart gives a painful lurch at that. He can’t imagine his own mother would have ever been so welcoming towards Danny.

“Or not,” Clara continues gently when he’s silent for too long. “Whenever you’re ready sweetheart. I hope we’ll see you both at Thanksgiving this year.”

“That sounds great,” he says sincerely. “I’ll talk to Danny about it.”

Clara asks Steve to pass along her love to Danny and Charlie and then they say goodbye.

Steve sits quietly while he contemplates this unexpectedly touching conversation and Charlie’s innocent question. Danny’s response echoes in his mind…

Not yet. But as soon as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit to Jostmum for originally suggesting the idea of Danny working on cold cases. It made a lot of sense to me once I thought about it.


	7. Chapter 7

Over the next week, Steve enjoys the extraordinary privilege of having sole responsibility for Charlie during the hours Danny is at work. It’s the last week they’ll have with him before he returns to school so Steve is determined to make the most of every minute. The adoring looks Steve gets from Danny every time he arrives home and sees Steve and Charlie together are an added bonus.

Once Charlie goes back to Rachel for the final week of his summer break, the house feels a bit lonely during the daytime with just Steve and Eddie, so Steve starts eating lunch at Kamekona’s at the same time every day, effectively issuing an open invitation to anyone who has the time to join him. Danny shows up most days and other members of the team as and when they can.

When the time comes for Grace to go back to college, Steve and Danny see her off at the airport. She hugs them both tightly, tells them how wonderful it is to see them so happy, and makes them promise to take care of each other. It’s hard to see her go but impossible not to be proud of her.

It may have been a relatively short time since they finally got together, but Steve and Danny were already extremely close before all of this and Steve feels that their new relationship is already rock solid. They still bicker about anything and everything but it wouldn’t be them otherwise and it’s all in good fun. Looking back on the times in the past where their fighting got nasty and they said genuinely hurtful things to each other, Steve thinks a lot of that was a result of the pain and frustration of suppressing their true feelings.

Despite Danny’s previous protests, Steve doesn’t have to try very hard to persuade him to take a look at some of the houses Steve has shortlisted. They’re all very nice places but none feel quite right. Steve and Danny are in no hurry and willing to wait for the one that’s perfect.

Meanwhile, Steve’s daily lunches continue and eventually a day comes when the entire Five-0 team is present. Most of them are cheerfully engaged in conversation, but Tani has been suspiciously quiet. Steve catches her eye across the table and gives her a slightly concerned questioning look.

“Are we allowed to talk about this yet?” she blurts out, right over whatever story Lou was telling, and gesturing at Steve and Danny.

There’s silence around the table with everyone’s attention now completely on Steve as he turns his questioning gaze on his partner. They search each other’s faces for a while, communicating without words.

Danny is the one who turns back to the group first. “Yeah, okay,” he says, sounding both amused and resigned. “Let’s hear it.”

“Oh, thank god,” Tani says with a grin, before proceeding to warmly congratulate them only to quickly move on to berating them for taking so damn long and driving everybody crazy for years.

The rest of the team each take their turn, expressing their heartfelt congratulations and commenting on how happy Steve and Danny look, with a little gentle ribbing thrown in now and again. Lincoln seems a bit bemused by it all but also genuinely pleased for them.

When it’s time for the team to head back to the office, Danny gives Steve a quick parting kiss, resulting in an immediate “Aw,” from Tani and delighted smiles from most of the others, including Kamekona who is watching from inside the shrimp truck.

Steve can’t resist grabbing Danny by the wrist and hauling him back for a more lingering kiss. Their friends are opening laughing now and as soon as their lips part, Steve and Danny smile brightly at each other.

“Idiot,” Danny says fondly and Steve just grins wider.

After Danny and the team have departed, Steve reflects happily that their first real public display of affection could not have gone better, with neither of them appearing to suffer from any anxiety or discomfort. Less happily, Steve knows he is still a bit hesitant about the idea of being open about his relationship with Danny in the presence of other veterans, with the obvious exception of his Five-0 teammates.

Determined to face this issue head on but without doing anything too dramatic, Steve decides to call Thomas Magnum and take him up on that offer of a drink. He thinks Magnum and his buddies are good guys, but if he’s wrong, at least it will sting a lot less that it would with people he actually served with. It seems like a sensible first step.

They meet at La Mariana and are greeted by Rick, then Steve introduces Danny as his partner to Magnum and T.C., without specifying that there’s a new layer of meaning to that since they last met. But when they sit, Steve presses right up against Danny, puts one arm around him, and finally places his other hand on top of Danny’s where it rests on the table. They’re both a bit tense and Steve suspects he’s unintentionally issuing some kind of challenge with his eyes, but other than brief flickers of surprise, there’s no change in the friendly expressions of the other three men. Steve relaxes immediately, immensely relieved.

It’s a pleasant evening mostly spent regaling each other with wild tales of some of the more ridiculous situations that Five-0 and Magnum and his friends have ended up in. Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse when Steve notices Rick frowning and T.C. glaring across the room. He follows their gaze to find a group of men eyeing Steve and Danny with distaste. Steve is instantly tense all over again.

Danny squeezes his hand. “Let it go, babe,” he sighs.

“I’m so sorry,” Rick says, “but I can’t really throw them out unless they actually do something.”

Magnum is also glaring daggers at the other group by this point and they eventually notice the scrutiny and pointedly look away, apparently having enough self preservation instincts to avoid starting a confrontation. That’s a shame. Steve is itching for a fight.

“Please calm down,” Danny says wearily. “I know it sucks, but we’re going to have to get used to it. As entertaining as it would be, you can’t go beating the crap out of every asshole who takes exception to what we mean to each other.”

“Yeah, I know,” Steve acknowledges, trying his best to do as Danny asked and relax.

Danny gives him a sly smile. “But if anyone is stupid enough to throw the first punch, then by all means make sure you throw the last one.”

Steve can only think of one possible response to that. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Danny shifts so he can speak directly into Steve’s ear and not be overheard. “Now what do you say we get out of here and I’ll help you forget all about ignorant fools who can’t see how beautiful we are together.”

Hell yes. Steve quickly makes their excuses and after agreeing to meet up with their new friends again some time soon, they’re out the door in record time and heading home. Steve vows to never forget that being with Danny is more than worth any unpleasantness that might come their way.


	8. Chapter 8

Steve spends a lot of time over the next few weeks giving serious thought to what he wants to do with his life. He loves being a cop, but he’s no longer interested in dealing with the constant stress and pressure of leading the team. Eventually he concludes that he’s ready to take a big step back, but he wants to retain some involvement with Five-0, as Danny has done.

Specifically, he wants to be Danny’s partner and work on the cold cases together. With two of them undertaking this work, they could consistently follow up any leads themselves to break up the monotony of reviewing the files. It would be a much less dangerous and demanding but hopefully still very rewarding job. Danny initially has some concerns about the idea of being together 24/7 but Steve wins him over with the argument that they could occasionally switch out with another member of Five-0 if necessary. In addition, Danny has recently started teaching at the police academy one day a week so that would also give them a break from each other.

It’s been ten weeks since his return to Hawaii when Steve meets with the governor to seek her approval of this plan, although first he has to inform her that he and Danny are now romantically involved. It turns out she’s surprised, not that they’re now together, but that they weren’t already. This is a bit embarrassing, but on the plus side she clearly has no reservations about them continuing to work together. It’s quickly agreed that Steve and Danny will effectively become a separate small unit within Five-0, reporting directly to the governor, while Lou remains in command of the rest of the task force.

At first it’s a bit strange for everyone; Steve and Danny have to adjust to working together again after Steve’s long break and the change in their relationship, while the rest of the team have to train themselves out of referring to Steve as ‘boss’ and looking to him for direction whenever he decides to grace them with his presence in the main office. Steve and Danny generally check in with the team several times a day whenever they need a break, sometimes separately and sometimes together, and they’re always happy to offer their opinions or advice and occasional assistance if there’s a lot of grunt work to get through in the course of an investigation, but they don’t often get more involved than that with Five-0’s current cases. Not getting called out to crime scenes at all hours of the day is a huge improvement to their quality of life and Steve is immensely grateful that the governor was willing to reward the hard work they put in over the past decade by accommodating their desire to slow down.

One morning, as they’re heading down to their basement office after greeting the team, Quinn makes a joke about remembering to put a sock on the door, but actually they’ve found it relatively easy to remain professional at work. They spent ten years successfully resisting the desire to jump each other, so they can certainly manage ten hours a day, especially since they can now thoroughly make up for it when they’re at home.

Two weeks after Steve’s return to work they’re already comfortably settled in their new routine and life is pretty great, but it only gets better when Steve finally finds the perfect house. It’s a beachfront property not far from Steve’s old place, with a similarly stunning view and the same convenient access to the ocean. Such properties don’t often come on the market so it’s very fortunate timing.

The previous owners were an elderly couple who lived there happily for decades before passing away peacefully within hours of each other. That certainly sounds like something to aspire to, so Steve is hoping to start a trend. The couple’s heirs live on the mainland and are more interested in getting the estate settled quickly than in the size of their inheritance, so given that and the fact that it’s a cash transaction (Mary hadn’t wanted any of the money from the sale of the McGarrett house after having received a substantial inheritance from Aunt Deb), Steve is able to negotiate an excellent price. Danny protests against putting both of their names on the paperwork when Steve is the one paying, but Steve insists and eventually gets his way. He figures that if he ever does something stupid enough to make Danny leave him, he’s not going to care if his partner also forces him to sell the house.

The house itself is a modest family home, old but well cared for. There’s a wonderful atmosphere about the place, as if the love the previous occupants had shared has seeped into the walls. There are two bedrooms upstairs but the master bedroom is downstairs, which is a distinct advantage in a place you intend to grow old in, particularly as Danny’s damaged knee will only get worse with time.

They don’t move in immediately after the purchase is completed, but remain at Danny’s for a couple of weeks while their new home is repainted and the kitchen and bathrooms are replaced. They’re also starting over with furniture so they can ensure everything suits both of their tastes. Charlie is thrilled to be involved in picking out everything for his new room. Grace suggests that they keep the other bedroom fairly neutral to use as a guest room given how infrequently she’ll be home. She also hints that they might want that room for another purpose in the future but that’s a discussion they haven’t gone anywhere near yet.

On moving day, they rope all of their friends into helping and for several hours it’s barely organized chaos. They decided to spare Charlie from this so Rachel is bringing him over in a little while, once the hard work ends and the housewarming party begins. It looks like the activity is beginning to wind down when Steve realizes he’s lost track of Danny. He navigates his way past several people helpfully unpacking the last few boxes before Adam finally tells him that Danny has stepped outside.

Steve finds his partner on the beach, repeatedly throwing a ball into the ocean for an overjoyed Eddie. Steve pauses some distance away and just watches for a few minutes.

Without ever obviously looking his way, Danny suddenly calls out, “Staring is creepy, Steven.”

Steve doesn’t respond but begins to close the distance between them. Danny turns to face him when he’s still a couple of feet away and Steve stops in his tracks, completely awed by the blissfully happy and endlessly loving expression that is bestowed upon him. He doesn’t know how he got so lucky, to have this amazing man by his side and a house currently full of people who love and support them. This day is already fantastic, but Steve suddenly has a moment of inspiration that there’s a way to make it even better.

Danny’s eyes widen as Steve drops down to one knee.

“Babe, I want you to join my unit for a lifelong mission,” Steve says, watching in amusement as Danny’s expression quickly shifts from shock to outrage to dawning recognition, because what could possibly be more romantic than proving that not only does he listen, Steve _remembers_ every word his partner has ever said to him. But, for the sake of clarity, he adds, “Will you marry me?”

Danny stares at him for a few moments with eyes that are suddenly glistening. “At this point, I don’t know which one of us is more insane,” he says shakily, “but… yes.”

“Yes?” Steve isn’t entirely ready to believe this is really happening.

“Yes,” Danny repeats. “Now get up before I change my mind.”

Steve has never moved faster in his life; he stands and steps forward eagerly to embrace his _fiance_ for a joyful celebratory kiss. When they eventually separate, Steve notices that all of their friends have gathered on the lanai and are watching quietly. He and Danny share one last elated smile before they turn to face their audience while still maintaining contact with each other.

“Please tell us that was exactly what it looked like!” Lou calls out.

Never one to make anything easy, Steve responds with a smirk, “What did it look like?”

“Like a pair of idiots just got engaged!” Tani yells gleefully.

Danny lets out a delighted laugh, gazing adoringly at Steve while shouting back, “Sounds about right!”

There’s a collective cheer and a round of applause before everyone starts heading their way, some more quickly than others. Tani and Junior are the first to arrive and offer hugs and enthusiastic congratulations. Junior beams as he explains that he had reacted to the situation quickly enough to catch Danny’s acceptance of Steve’s proposal on video, although due to the distance there’s no sound.

Soon enough everyone has had a turn to give their congratulations and then Steve and Danny find themselves at the center of a gigantic group hug. Looking around at the crowd of jubilant faces, seeing Danny’s radiant smile, and spotting Charlie now running across the lawn to join them, Steve is overcome by the most profound sense of happiness and peace he’s ever experienced. 

This is his home, and there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who doesn't remember, the exact wording of Steve's proposal was suggested by Danny back in 6x02, one of the many times he mocked Steve for being unromantic. Steve responded with a total lie about how sometimes when Danny speaks all he hears is wah wah wah.
> 
> This chapter took some time while I was trying to decide how far I wanted to go down this road. Ultimately, when I reached this point, the story felt complete. I presently have no plans to go any further but reserve the right to change my mind in the future!
> 
> Thanks for reading and I truly appreciate every comment and kudos.


End file.
